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% THE GLASS FACTORY. %
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##@¶#$%~,¨ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ AND A GIFT SHOP. ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ CONSIDERED POOR. ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ %% %% ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ ~~~~~~~ % % ~~~~~~~ ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ %% %% ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ LIT FROM BEHIND. ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ %% ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ %% %% ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~ % % ~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ %% %% ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ %% ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ FLOOR. ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ BECOME STILL. ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ %% ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ %% %% ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ ~~~~~~~ % % ~~~~~~~ ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ %% ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¨,~%$#¶@##
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
@¶#$%~,¨¨¨ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ¨¨¨,~%$#¶@
#@¶#$%~,¨¨ ¨¨,~%$#¶@#
##@¶#$%~,¨ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ¨,~%$#¶@##
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